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(No Model.) 7'

P. L. SHEPLER. FOLDING SEAT.

Patented Feb. 13. 1883.

- IO \s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIUS L. SHEPLER, OF TOLEDO,.OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALETO WM. H. GRAY AND A. E. ROOD, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,166, dated February 13, 1883, Application filed October 25,1882. (No model.)

Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Seats; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to folding seats especially adapted to school-desks, as set forth in my application for a patent tiled July 27, 1882; and the novelty consists, essentially, in the construction and adaptation of a hinge which connects the seat to the standards, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a school desk and seat with the leaf and seat in operation; and Fig. 2, detail perspective views of the hinge-connection between the seat and standards. 1

Referring to the drawings, A represents the standards, F the seat-arms, G the leaf-arms, and E the back. The side of each standard A, Where the seat-arm is designed to be attached, is cast with a partially circular channel, a, leaving a correspondingly-formedboss, b, through the centerot' which is a bolt-hole, e. The arms or seat-supports F are provided upon their inner faces with semicircular projections 61, of such form that when the parts are together the projections 01 operate within the recesses or channels a in the standards A, and

bolts 6, passing through the arms F and holes 0 in the standards, secure the parts together, so that the seat may be partia-llyrotated upon its hearing or pivot and folded against the back E. The arms F terminatein projections rearward, as seen atf, which, when the seat is in operation, impinge against the lower surface of thelugs 9, cast upon the standards, which serve to arrest the further motion of the seat.

In order to render the dropping of the seat into operative positionas noiseless as possible,

I employ a spring, H, which is secured to the standard in the position substantially as shown in Fig. 2, with the free end of said spring projecting upward within the channel a, and is adapted to be impinged upon by the projection 01, and to allow the parts f g to collide without any considerable noise. By the construction shown a spring is used which there is little or no danger of breaking, and one which is not likely to become useless from wear, as is the case with most rubber springs, some of which become destroyed by the effects of the atmosphere, and all of them become softened and useless from the effects of the oil used in lubricating the joints. Moreover, the arrangement of my spring is such that it materially assists in raising the seat, it being of such strength as to nearly or about counterbalance theseats wei ht.

I am aware that rubber cushions have before been used in the recesses ot'joints to deaden the sound caused 'by the lugs working in said recesses, and I- am also aware that a flat slightly-curved metallic spring has been inclosed in a curved recess in a seat-joint,which spring is acted upon by a lugworking in said recess; but from the position and construction of said spring it does not have the counterbalancing effect of mine, and is likely to be broken by sudden or rapid movement of the seat.

The. construction of the leaf-joint is not claimed here, as it is made'the subject-matter of a separate application.

What I claim as new is- Ina folding seat, and in combination with the standards having a partially circular recess, a, and a seat-support, E, having a projection,d,fitted in said recess, the coiled spring H, secured at one end to the standard outside otthe recess, anditsfree end projecting inside of and arranged to travel lengthwise of said recess, whereby it acts as a cushion to deaden the concussion, and also counter-balances the seat, substantially as described.

PIUS L. SHEPLER. Witnesses:

PAUL RAYMOND, CHARLES DODGE. 

